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Topic Review
Classification of Ginsenosidases
Although there are multiple catalytic strategies for the conversion of major ginsenoside, biotransformation using ginsenosidases is more advantageous for the targeted production of minor ginsenosides due to the high specificity, high selectivity, high catalytic efficiency, high product purity, mild reaction conditions and clear catalytic process, which is one of the current research topics in ginsenoside biotransformation. Ginsenosidases are commonly classified as type I, type II, type III, type IV and type V according to the hydrolysis site, residues and types of sugar moieties of ginsenosides. Ginsenosidase type I simultaneously hydrolyze the glycosyl residues linked to C-20 and C-3 positions in the PPD-type ginsenosides, yielding minor ginsenosides with only one glucose residue or other glycosyl residues. Ginsenosidase type II hydrolyzes the glycosyl residues at the C-20 position of protopanaxadiol (PPD)-and protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type saponins. Ginsenosidase type III hydrolyzes the sugar moieties attached to the C-3 position of PPD-type ginsenosides. Ginsenosidase type IV only hydrolyzes the sugar moieties linked to C-6 in PPT-type ginsenosides. Ginsenosidase type V hydrolyzes the glycosyl moieties attached to the C-20 and C-6 positions of PPT-type ginsenosides to yield the corresponding aglycones.
  • 1.1K
  • 19 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Metabolites of Aspergillus nidulans and Their Bioactivities
Fungi serve as a depository of fascinating, structurally unique metabolites with considerable therapeutic significance. Aspergillus genus represents one of the most prolific genera of filamentous fungi. Aspergillus nidulans Winter G. is a well-known and plentiful source of bioactive metabolites with abundant structural diversity, including terpenoids, benzophenones, sterols, alkaloids, xanthones, and polyketides, many of which display various bioactivities, such as cytotoxicity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antimicrobial activities. 
  • 1.1K
  • 31 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Protein-Based Systems for Translational Regulation of synthetic mRNAs
Synthetic mRNAs, which are produced by in vitro transcription, have been recently attracting attention because they can express any transgenes without the risk of insertional mutagenesis. Protein-based translational regulation systems enable the context-dependent production of therapeutic proteins and have the potential to further improve the efficacy and safety of synthetic mRNAs.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Applications of Serine Integrases in Synthetic Biology
Serine integrases are emerging as one of the most powerful biological tools for biotechnology. With the fast development of synthetic biology, serine integrases have been used as one of the powerful genetic tools with their unique features of site-specific, orthogonality, irreversibility, high affinity, and high efficiency. Serine integrases are widely used in diverse ways, including genome engineering, biological part and genetic circuit design, and DNA assembly. Moreover, serine integrases also advance multidisciplinary research such as chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, and biomedical engineering.
  • 1.1K
  • 13 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Omics Strategies in Infectious Fish Disease Management
Aquaculture is an important industry globally as it remains one of the significant alternatives of animal protein source supplies for humankind. Yet, the progression of this industry is being dampened by the increasing rate of fish mortality, mainly the outbreak of infectious diseases. Consequently, the regress in aquaculture ultimately results in the economy of multiple countries being affected due to the decline of product yields and marketability. By 2025, aquaculture is expected to contribute approximately 57% of fish consumption worldwide. Without a strategic approach to curb infectious diseases, the increasing demands of the aquaculture industry may not be sustainable and hence contributing to the over-fishing of wild fish. A new holistic approach that utilizes multi-omics platforms including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics is unraveling the intricate molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction. 
  • 1.1K
  • 23 May 2022
Topic Review
Metabolic Engineering of Yeast for Bioethanol Production
Increased human population and the rapid decline of fossil fuels resulted in a global tendency to look for alternative fuel sources. Ethanol has been the primary fossil fuel alternative due to its low carbon emission rates, high octane content and comparatively facile microbial production processes. As a well-known platform microorganism and native ethanol producer, baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been the primary subject of interest for both academic and industrial perspectives in terms of enhanced ethanol production processes. Metabolic engineering strategies have been primarily adopted for direct manipulation of genes of interest responsible in mainstreams of ethanol metabolism. To overcome limitations of rational metabolic engineering, an alternative bottom-up strategy called inverse metabolic engineering has been widely used. In this context, evolutionary engineering, also known as adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE), which is based on random mutagenesis and systematic selection, is a powerful strategy to improve bioethanol production of S. cerevisiae. Metabolic and evolutionary engineering strategies are intertwined and many metabolically engineered strains for bioethanol production can be further improved by powerful evolutionary engineering strategies as well as the recent advancements in directed genome evolution, including CRISPR-Cas9 technology.
  • 1.1K
  • 16 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Genetically Modified Plants and Products
Genetic transformation has emerged as an important tool for the genetic improvement of valuable plants by incorporating new genes with desirable traits. These strategies are useful especially in crops to increase yields, disease resistance, tolerance to environmental stress (cold, heat, drought, salinity, herbicides, and insects) and increase biomass and medicinal values of plants. The production of healthy plants with more desirable products and yields can contribute to sustainable development goals. The introduction of genetically modified food into the market has raised potential risks. A proper assessment of their impact on the environment and biosafety is an important step before their commercialization.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Biomacromolecules for Wound Dressings
Biomacromolecules are particularly promising for the fabrication of novel, more effective antimicrobial wound dressings.
  • 1.1K
  • 31 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Horizontal Gene Transfer and Endophytes
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), an important evolutionary mechanism observed in prokaryotes, is the transmission of genetic material across phylogenetically distant species. The availability of complete genomes has facilitated the comprehensive analysis of HGT and highlighted its emerging role in the adaptation and evolution of eukaryotes. Endophytes represent an ecologically favored association, which highlights its beneficial attributes to the environment, in agriculture and in healthcare. The HGT phenomenon in endophytes, which features an important biological mechanism for their evolutionary adaptation within the host plant and simultaneously confers “novel traits” to the associated microbes, is not yet completely understood. With a focus on the emerging implications of HGT events in the evolution of biological species.
  • 1.1K
  • 12 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Application of Biomolecule based Microarrays
Microarrays are one of the trailblazing technologies of the last two decades and have displayed their importance in all the associated fields of biology. They are widely explored to screen, identify, and gain insights on the characteristics traits of biomolecules (individually or in complex solutions). A wide variety of biomolecule-based microarrays (DNA microarrays, protein microarrays, glycan microarrays, antibody microarrays, peptide microarrays, and aptamer microarrays) are either commercially available or fabricated in-house by researchers to explore diverse substrates, surface coating, immobilization techniques, and detection strategies. 
  • 1.1K
  • 21 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Artificial Lipid Membranes for Viral Assembly Research
The cell plasma membrane is mainly composed of phospholipids, cholesterol and embedded proteins, presenting a complex interface with the cell environment. Enveloped viruses are also surrounded by a lipidic membrane derived from the host-cell membrane and acquired during the assembly at and the budding from the host cell plasma membrane. In this perspective, model membranes, composed of selected lipid mixtures mimicking plasma membrane chemical and physical properties, are tools of choice to decipher the first steps of enveloped viruses assembly. Hereafter are detailled some of the existing artificial lipid membranes and their contribution in deciphering the assembly process of 3 well known envelopped virus, the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), the Influenza virus (IfV) and the Ebola virus (EboV).
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Microfluidics for 3D Cell and Tissue Cultures
Traditional cell cultures are performed in two-dimensional (2D) systems such as Petri dishes, multiwell plates or flasks. However, they cannot realistically mimic the morphophysiological complexity of the original three-dimensional (3D) in vivo environment from which the cells of specific lines originate. Without opposing animal experimentation but promoting its responsible application, the development of alternative cell culture systems tries to ensure compliance with the 3R principles. Reduction (reduction in the animals used for in vivo tests), Refinement (experimental design optimization to limit stress and affliction to laboratory animals) and Replacement (total or partial replacement of animal testing with alternative valid methods) are increasingly desired and strongly recommended as fundamental ethical aspects in the use of animals in scientific experiments.
  • 1.1K
  • 27 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Microalgae Biodiesel
Microalgae are a diverse group of prokaryotic and eukaryotic photosynthetic unicellular organisms. More than 50,000 microalgal species live in various environmental conditions, including water domains such as streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, and terrestrial ecosystems. Microalgae are regarded as a promising source of biodiesel. In contrast with conventional crops currently used to produce commercial biodiesel, microalgae can be cultivated on non-arable land, besides having a higher growth rate and productivity. However, microalgal biodiesel is not yet regarded as economically competitive, compared to fossil fuels and crop-based biodiesel; therefore, it is not commercially produced.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Spectro-Fluor™ Technology
Spectro-Fluor technology is an unique, innovative as well as a versatile and green spectroscopic method that allows to detect very sensitively, specifically and rapidly C-F bonds in any solutions, gas, materials, organisms (e.g. human/animal cells, bacteria, virus, fungi, body tissues) and molecules (e.g. drugs, polymers, nano and smaller molecules).
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Circulating microRNAs in Medicine
Circulating microRNAs (c-microRNAs, c-miRNAs), which are in almost all biological fluids, are promising sensitive biomarkers for various diseases (oncological and cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative pathologies, etc.), and their signatures accurately reflect the state of the body. The discovery of microRNAs was a scientific breakthrough, and the study of their functional potential opened up the possibility of influencing protein synthesis at the gene level. Moreover, microRNAs of this class are highly sensitive biomarkers of various diseases, allowing not only to detect a disease at early asymptomatic stages, but also to predict therapeutic efficacy.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Role of OM in Gram-Negative Multi-Drug-Resistant Bacteria
The cell envelope in Gram-negative bacteria is made of an outer membrane (OM), peptidoglycan cell wall (CW), and inner membrane (IM). lipopolysaccharides (LPS), a peculiar glycolipid unique to Gram-negative bacteria is the hallmark of OM that consists of a glucosamine-based lipid (lipid A) attached to a core oligosaccharide followed by a distal polysaccharide chain. This incredible variability in LPS that is attained through unique organization and adaptability to multiple secondary covalent modifications plays a key role in the multi-drug-resistant (MDR) of Gram-negative bacteria.
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Industrial Value of Nonconventional Yeasts
Nonconventional yeasts (NCYs) have several advantages over S. cerevisiae from an industrial viewpoint. S. cerevisiae is often directed toward ethanol synthesis (due to its Crabtree-positive effect), restricting product diversification. In contrast, NCYs may have desired metabolic pathways, enabling product profile expansion. The ability to resist various stresses is additional key benefit in industrial bioprocesses.
  • 1.1K
  • 12 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Therapeutic Applications for Oncolytic Self-Replicating RNA Viruses
Self-replicating RNA viruses have become attractive delivery vehicles for therapeutic applications. They are easy to handle, can be rapidly produced in large quantities, and can be delivered as recombinant viral particles, naked or nanoparticle-encapsulated RNA, or plasmid DNA-based vectors. The self-replication of RNA in infected host cells provides the means for generating much higher transgene expression levels and the possibility to apply substantially reduced amounts of RNA to achieve similar expression levels or immune responses compared to conventional synthetic mRNA. Alphaviruses and flaviviruses, possessing a single-stranded RNA genome of positive polarity, as well as measles viruses and rhabdoviruses with a negative-stranded RNA genome. Particularly, oncolytic self-replicating RNA viruses have demonstrated tumor growth inhibition, tumor eradication and cure in animal tumor models. Stable disease and prolonged overall survival have been reported from clinical trials with oncolytic self-replicating RNA viruses. 
  • 1.1K
  • 15 Dec 2022
Topic Review
TENG-Based Self-Powered Neuroprosthetics
TENG-Based Self-Powered Neuroprosthetics is a neuroprosthetic system using a triboelectric nanogenerator as the power source to generator the current pulses required for neural stimulations. The thin-film triboelectric nanogenerator can be attached onto the heart or buried under the skin to convert the mechanical energy from the movement of organs, such as heart beat, or the hand tapping onto the skin to electrical current pulses. This system is promising to realize a fully self-powered neural modulation with much reduced device complexity. 
  • 1.1K
  • 10 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Microplastic Accumulation and Degradation in Environment
The extensive use of plastics in daily life has led to the generation of huge amounts of plastic waste, which causes an enormous burden on the environment. More than half of the plastic waste ends up in the landfill, and about one-fifth of waste is managed by incineration. Only about one-tenth of plastic waste is recycled, and the rest, about one-fifth of mismanaged plastic waste, ends up in the terrestrial and aquatic environment.
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Dec 2022
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